Before There was Veteran's Day, There was the Feast of St. Martin of Tours

"As we hold individuals in high esteem those who conscientiously serve in the armed forces, so also we should regard conscientious objection and selective conscientious objection as positive indicators within the Church of a sound moral awareness and respect for human life." (U.S. Bishops, Declaration of Conscientious Objection and Selective Conscientious Objection.)

Today our government observes Veteran's Day and the Catholic Church observes the feast day of St. Martin of Tours the patron saint of both soldiers and conscientious objectors.

Martin of Tours was the son of an officer in the Roman army who, at the age of 15, joined Roman army himself. As a young man, he underwent a conversion after an encounter with a beggar. In a dream, the beggar he had encountered earlier that day, appeared to him as Christ.

Some time after his Baptism, he began to view his military service as incompatible with his Christian faith. Prior to a battle, he asked Emperor Julian for his release from the army declaring, "I have served you as a soldier; allow me henceforth to serve Christ... I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight".  He offered instead to stand unarmed between the Roman and Gothic lines.  Julian declined Martin's offer but he did throw Martin into prison until a truce was reached.

After his release, Martin returned to the place of his birth in the Alps and founded, what is considered to be, the first monastery. Some years later, he was reluctantly elected bishop. 

Today, let us hold in our thoughts and prayers all those who have suffered and sacrificed after an examination of conscience. Let us pray for those who are honored because, out of a moral duty, they served, and those who are persecuted and punished because, out of a moral duty, they refused.